Bound for Glory - Christmas Present
by GrandmaCleverboots
Summary: This is a sequel to Bound for Glory and takes place five years later. It is set in the summer and is called "Christmas Present because it is a gift to two friends: Michelle and Lisa. Happy Christmas!


**Author's Note: This is a one-shot sequel to "Bound for Glory" and won't make much sense if you don't read that first. I wrote this as a Christmas present to my friends Michelle and Lisa. Happy Christmas!**

Five years after the end of Bound for Glory:

"_Blaine!" Kurt shouted, making Claudius trot a little faster towards his stablemate. Caesar was down the path a few hundred feet ahead because Kurt had stopped to take a picture of a hummingbird._

_Blaine touched the reins to his mule's neck and the large animal stopped, leaning his head down to nibble at some kind of delectable plant that was growing beside the deer track they were following._

"_Hey, slow-poke, having trouble keeping up?" Blaine teased. Kurt had been riding mules for almost a decade and still had problems from time to time. Blaine laughed to himself, watching as Kurt came around a bend in the trail and caught up._

"_No, I'm not having issues with keeping up, I just wanted to take a picture of the hummingbird. I didn't think we were in a hurry, are we?" he asked, looking around to see if he recognized anything yet. _

_They were on their way to a place deep in the forest near a lake so they could have a quiet, private picnic. _

"_No, no hurry at all. As a matter of fact, we're just a little ways away from the clearing and the lake. Want to race?" Blaine asked, turning Caesar's face to the path once again._

"_No – let's just go slowly. I think the forest is almost prettier today than it was the first day we came here. Don't you?"_

"_Yes. Anywhere is beautiful if you're by my side, Babe. You know that," Blaine smiled at his husband, love shining in his eyes._

"_Getting a little sentimental, are we?" Kurt asked softly as he smiled back._

"_I can't help it. I know we were legally wed in September of that year, but our private ceremony here in the wilderness will always mean more to me. Being here in this place with you – its as if all the things we dreamed up on that day have come true. Spending my life with you has been the answer to all the dreams, Kurt. I love you."_

"_I love you, too. And for the record, my eyes get misty thinking about that day, too."_

It had been almost a month ago when Kurt and Blaine had taken the first mule ride in a long time into the still-untouched forest on the side of the mountain. June 19th was the day Blaine went to visit his father's grave and they had gone with Cooper this year to lay flowers and remember the man that the brothers idolized.

Kurt no longer felt as if he were intruding when they went to visit the grave, he had been doing it for six years now and he moved away from Coop and Blaine when they sat beside the grave to speak to their dad. After that, he joined in as they sang a few songs that the man had loved and quietly rode back to Kurt and Blaine's house in Warner Lumber Camp.

Shannon called out to Kurt as she saw him walk by and he hurried into the cook house.

"This came for you in the mail today, it looked important," she said, smiling at the chestnut-haired man as he grinned at her. It was a large manila envelope addressed to Blaine and Kurt Hummel-Anderson with a return address in Corvallis. Kurt kissed Shannon on her cheek and ran out the door, calling out to Blaine in an excited voice.

The lake was in sight and both mules hurried their steps as they got nearer. The men dismounted and let the animals drink their fill before leading them to the high mountain meadow where they camped every year. Kurt and Blaine made quick work of setting up the tent and getting the fishing gear out to catch some lunch from the lake.

There was a slight breeze and Kurt walked out of the tent, checking on the mules to be sure they were close enough to the water to drink. He looked across the lake, seeing a fish jump and a flock of some type of water birds in the distance.

In back of the tent past the clearing was a forest of mostly evergreens: pine and fir trees along with some holly and other shrubs. Kurt could hear birds as they went about their business building nests and taking care of their young. There were sounds of some small animal scurrying through the debris of the forest floor and the man smiled – thinking about the time he and Blaine had rescued a baby flying squirrel and kept it until it was old enough to return to the forest. He recalled the look of adoration on his husband's face as he fed and cuddled the tiny creature in his hand; and Kurt remembered the feeling it gave him to see Blaine care for a baby animal which brought thoughts of one day having a baby that he and Blaine could call their own to love and care for. It was a sweet memory, but it brought with it more thoughts of the future and wonder about whether they might have that baby soon. He sighed and returned to the clearing in front of the tent.

With the mules on their pickets and the campsite all set up, Kurt sat down on a fallen log, watching as his husband chopped a little kindling. It was always a pleasure to see Blaine doing something physical and a tingly feeling crept up Kurt's spine as Blaine took off his shirt, the exertion making him too warm. Kurt was feeling decidedly warmer as Blaine finished his task and walked back to the log to sit next to Kurt.

"Hey, you don't want to touch me right now, I'm sweaty," Blaine laughed, knowing how fastidious his husband was most of the time.

"That would be true of anyone else, but I like the way you smell," Kurt said, putting his arms around Blaine and pulling him closer, burying his nose in his neck and taking a deep breath.

Blaine giggled.

"Stop that! Here, I was going to take a dip in the lake. Care to join me?"

Kurt grinned.

"Yes. Hey, I brought towels this time! Remember the first year when we dried off on the blankets and they were still damp when we went to bed?"

Blaine smiled. Memories of that day were the best, the day they made their life-long promise to each other. Blaine shook his head to clear it, there would be that kind of celebration later that evening.

Walking down to the lake shore, hand in hand, Kurt was no longer giddy and giggly at being naked in front of Blaine. Blaine still got a warm feeling at seeing his husband this way, free and happy in the noonday sun with no clothes to obstruct his view. In the six years since that day, Kurt had changed from the beautiful, shy boy with so much potential to a breathtaking and successful man. His muscles were developed now, the long, hard days of doing chores around the house and barnyard and walking everywhere they went had served to strengthen Kurt's body. His chest was deep and his abdomen had a definition that had only been hinted at before. His legs were still long but fit his frame better now that the growth spurts had stopped. Kurt was about two inches taller than Blaine – a fact that gave him unending hours of pleasure both in being able to tease and in other, more personal, situations.

"Penny for your thoughts," Kurt said, turning to put his arms around Blaine's neck.

"My thoughts are always about you, Babe. Always," he said, his voice low and sultry as he kissed along Kurt's neck and down his chest.

"I thought we came here to swim?" Kurt teased.

"Yeah, we'll get to that..." Blaine said, taking Kurt's arm and mouthing the sensitive skin on the inside of his wrist. Kurt hummed in appreciation and stepped closer, his other arm snaking around Blaine's waist.

Blaine continued to kiss up Kurt's arm, stopping at the inside of his elbow to lick – tickling enough to make Kurt giggle for a moment before he abandoned that spot and moved on up to his collarbone. They were standing very close now, the grass cool underfoot where they stood on the bank of the lake. Blaine kissed along the collarbone, leaving little nips and bites along his way as he licked Kurt's throat and felt him swallow.

Kurt moved another step forward, clinging to Blaine as their bodies touched and both sighed into the embrace. Blaine kissed Kurt's lips, just a brush left as a promise of so much more to come, then took his hand once again and they stepped into the cool water of the fire-blue lake.

Swimming out to a partially submerged rock, Blaine got there first and cheered Kurt on until he was climbing up to sit beside his husband. Kurt had gotten more beautiful with the years, and Blaine had also bloomed. He had been strong with hard biceps and calf muscles from the workouts he had been doing from the time he was thirteen, training to be a prize fighter under the watchful eyes of his brother and trainer. He had been the champion welter weight fighter in the lumber camps in Oregon when Kurt met him. He'd given up boxing when Kurt asked him, eyes wet with tears because he was worried that Blaine could die if he were hit too hard in the ring. Blaine did it for love, but he missed it and had continued the exercises he'd learned in training and kept those up over the years. As a result, he was strong and quick – his body a showpiece of muscles covered with that golden olive skin that Kurt loved so much.

The two of them swam for almost an hour, playing in the water like two otters, giggling and splashing.

"Kurt, honey, I think we better get going. The sunscreen is probably wearing off and we need to get hooks in the water if we're having trout for dinner," Blaine said. Kurt scrambled to get back on the rock beside Blaine and nodded his agreement just before grabbing his hands and sliding off the slippery rock, pulling his husband into the water with him. Once in the water, Kurt tugged Blaine close and wrapped his legs around him. He held tight as they surfaced and Kurt plunged his tongue into Blaine's mouth, his eyes closed and his chest flush against his husband's. Blaine kissed back, sucking slightly on Kurt's tongue and humming in satisfaction as he heard a tiny moan escape.

That sound went through Kurt, stiffening his cock as he rubbed against Blaine. He moved both hands down to cup Blaine's cheeks and pull him closer to make the friction between them more forceful.

"Oh, my stars in heaven, Kurt...that feels good," Blaine whispered in his ear, holding on to Kurt's shoulders and kissing his neck. The movement got faster and Kurt was whining, Blaine moaning as their water-slick bodies thrust against each other until Blaine felt the heat gathering in his stomach and he gripped Kurt tighter -

"Oh, baby, come with me...come with me, now.." and the heat rushed down his spine and up his shaft as he came hard. Kurt was panting a little but put forth a bit more effort and came moments after, Blaine's name on his lips.

They hugged tighter, neither one wanting to lose the closeness. Finally they realized they couldn't stand in the lake forever and broke apart.

"I love you, Babe," Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear before diving back into the water to rinse off and climbing out of the lake onto the grassy shore. Blaine watched him for a few moments, his heart so full and feeling so lucky to have Kurt. He sighed and swam to the shore, climbing out to find Kurt waiting with a warm towel and his clothes.

A few hours later, the two walked back into camp. They had caught three fish between them, gutted and cleaned them far from the camp, and cooked them a few hundred feet away. There was no sense in tempting the local bears with delicious aromas and then sleeping next to the scents. Cooking and eating were always done a distance away from where they pitched the tent to sleep and the mules were tethered close to the camp to warn of approaching danger.

After eating, Kurt and Blaine walked to the place in the meadow where they had sung to each other and said their vows they had written right here to each other. Every year they were able to do it – five out of the six years – they came here to do the same thing. Kurt quivered with anticipation as Blaine sang to him. The words meaning more now than they had meant even on that day:

_Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean  
Higher than any bird ever flew  
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens  
I've been in love with you_

_Stronger than any mountain cathedral  
Truer than any tree ever grew  
Deeper than any forest primeval  
I am in love with you_

_I'll bring fires in the winters  
You'll send showers in the springs  
We'll fly through the falls and summers  
With love on our wings_

_Through the years as the fire starts to mellow  
Burning lines in the book of our lives  
Though the binding cracks  
And the pages start to yellow  
I'll be in love with you  
I'll be in love with you_

_Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean  
Higher than any bird ever flew  
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens  
I've been in love with you  
I am in love with you_

Then they stood together, side by side and read their vows once again, looking into each other's eyes because they knew the vows by heart now:

_I promise to put your happiness before my own._

_I promise to do the stuff neither of us wants to do, if you really don't want to do it more than I don't want to do it._

_I promise to defend you to others, even if you're wrong, and save the argument about it until we are alone._

_I promise to make sure it is not just that I am feeling sick or hungry or grouchy BEFORE I get angry with you. _

_I promise to give you the benefit of the doubt. I am not marrying an idiot and I will trust you to do the right thing, even if I can't see the outcome right away._

_I promise not to give in to you for the sole purpose of using that against you in the next argument._

_I promise not to keep score._

_I promise not to put the children before you. (within reason)_

_I promise that it will not matter of you get old, fat, skinny, or anything else. I love you, not just the package you come in._

_I promise to listen to your heart, not just your voice. If it's something we cannot say with words, we will find a way to make our thoughts known to each other._

_I promise to keep an open mind at all times, and give you permission to remind me of this if I lose sight of it from time to time._

_I promise to let you have space to breathe and make your way in the world without me suffocating you. But at the same time, I promise to be there with you every step of the way - and we will find the balance we need to achieve that._

_I promise to clarify my expectations. How can we know what the other wants or needs if they don't tell us? _

_I promise never to go to bed angry. We will stay up until we can work it out, no running away._

_And I promise that my love for you will endure anything the world throws at us, that we will cleave together against it all, and respect each other for always._

Kurt: "I love you, Blaine Devon Hummel-Anderson, and take you as my husband to love, honor, and cherish, always and forever."

Blaine: "I love you, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel-Anderson, and take you as my husband to love, honor, and cherish, always and forever."

"And it really is forever, isn't it?" Blaine said, his voice a little high pitched as he struggled not to let the tears fall with his emotions before he sang back to Kurt – the same song he sang on that day.

_I'll be your dream  
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do  
I will be strong I will be faithful  
'cause I'm counting on  
A new beginning  
A reason for living  
A deeper meaning, yeah_

_I want to stand with you on  
a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me_

And when the stars are shining  
brightly in the velvet sky,  
I'll make a wish send it to heaven  
Then make you want to cry  
The tears of joy for all the  
pleasure and the certainty  
That we're surrounded by the  
comfort and protection of

_The highest powers  
In lonely hours  
The tears devour you_

Oh can you see it baby?  
You don't have to close your eyes  
'Cause it's standing right  
before you  
All that you need will surely come

Kurt joined in at this point and they finished the song together, tears falling unashamed down their faces as they gazed into each others' eyes with love.

__

I'll be your dream I'll be your wish  
I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do

I want to stand with you on a  
mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to live like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me 

The echoes of the song went through the forest and the couple held on to one another tightly for a long time. Then Kurt took Blaine's hand and guided him to sit on the log. He went to the saddlebags that were near the tent and brought back the manila envelope Shannon had given them a few days ago. He had shown the envelope to Blaine and they had agreed to wait the three days until this camping trip to open it.

"I'm scared to open it, Kurt. What if it isn't good news?" Blaine asked, his hand trembling as Kurt took it and kissed the fingers.

"Then we thank our lucky stars that we have each other to lean on, and we wait again," Kurt replied with the speech he'd been telling himself for the past three days.

Blaine scooted closer and leaned into Kurt's side. He slit the envelope open with his pocket knife and papers came tumbling out.

Among the other papers, a photograph fell out onto Kurt's lap. He picked it up and saw a very, very small baby with a tiny white shirt and a green cap on it's head, wrapped in a lavender blanket. He held the photograph and looked at Blaine.

They scrambled to read the letter.

Dear Mr and Mr Blaine and Kurt Hummel-Anderson,

As you know, the screening process for your application with our agency to adopt a child in need had finished the last phase and I am excited to inform you that you have passed every hurdle and are now on our list to be considered for a child.

While many adoptions are a long, involved process with much waiting time – sometimes years – this is not true in your case. Because you wish to adopt a child in need, there are many very special children waiting for a loving home.

When reviewing your file, I was reminded of a young girl who was about to give birth in one of our homes. She is only fourteen and unable to give her child a stable home environment or support the baby once she returns to her home. She looked through files of many possible homes for her child and picked you. If this seems a compatible match, please contact me this week and you can come to meet the baby. The mother does not want contact, but will provide a tape for her child if you wish this so the baby can "meet" her when the time comes.

I am including a picture of the baby, who was born on June 19th. If you wish to know more, open the sealed envelope I have provided.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Keryn Christine Charles

Family Counselor, Adoptions for Love

Blaine and Kurt looked at each other, then once more at the photograph. The baby was blue-eyed and had a bit of reddish curls peeking out from under the little cap. It was hard to tell, but it looked content and sleepy. They did not need words, Kurt took the sealed envelope that had only a case number on the outside and opened it.

Name: Baby Doe #7572217

Sex: Female

DOB: June 19, 2015

Baby Doe is female, reddish hair and blue eyes.

Mother is of: Irish descent. Father is of mixed race: Spanish/Asian/Korean

Baby Doe is healthy with the exception of being small birth weight (under 5 pounds) and RSV diagnosed on third day. (see attachment). She needs oxygen for the next few months but this usually clears within the first six months.

Birth mother was free of STD and her Drug/Tox screen was negative upon entrance to the hospital. Baby Doe was born via C-section at 36 weeks due to fetal distress and the size of the mother's pelvic dimensions.

A second page read:

RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus can lead to a lower respiratory tract illness such as pneumonia or bronchiolitis — an inflammation of the small airway passages entering the lungs. Signs and symptoms may include:

High fever

Severe cough

Wheezing — a high-pitched noise that's usually heard on breathing out (exhaling)

Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing, which may make the child prefer to sit up rather than lie down

Bluish color of the skin due to lack of oxygen (cyanosis)

Infants are most severely affected by RSV. They may markedly draw in their chest muscles and the skin between their ribs, indicating that they're having trouble breathing, and their breathing may be short, shallow and rapid. They may cough. Or they may show few, if any, signs of a respiratory tract infection, but will eat poorly and be unusually lethargic and irritable.

Most children and adults recover from the illness in one to two weeks. But in young babies, infants born prematurely, or infants or adults who have chronic heart or lung problems, the virus may cause a more severe — occasionally life-threatening — infection that requires hospitalization.

Kurt's eyes got huge, looking at Blaine.

"Can we do this?" he asked.

"I think so. We nursed a baby flying squirrel back to health. How much harder can a human baby be?" he said, his look so serious. Kurt looked at him, mouth agape until he saw the twinkle in his eye. They both broke up and laughter, holding their bellies as they laughed.

"Yeah, I put that on the forms you know – probably why they picked us!" Kurt laughed.

They settled down, the laughter serving to break the tension that was about to choke them.

"Seriously, what do you think? We can call Keryn Charles and tell her we need a few more days if you think we need it," Blaine said.

"Do you need more time?" Kurt asked.

"No. I want her," Blaine answered, laying his head on Kurt's shoulder. He could read what Kurt was thinking, but allowed him to answer for himself.

"I want her, too," Kurt whispered. "Daddy."

Blaine's smile reached across his face like the sun had come up. He tilted towards Kurt and they touched lips, then snuggled together.

"Papa?" Blaine asked.

"I haven't thought about that...how many names are there for 'father'?" Kurt asked.

"We'll find out. Well – it is about time for bed. I want to run down the mountain and call her right now, but I think maybe running through a dark forest in the middle of the night isn't the best idea, is it?" Blaine quipped.

"Probably not. Let's spend this night together because it might be one of the last we get - just the two of us before we're the three of us," Kurt suggested.

"I like that idea," Blaine said, standing up to offer Kurt his hand as they went into the tent for the night.

Blaine and Kurt made love as if it were their last night on Earth, slow and loving, sensuous and mind blowing. They cuddled together afterwards, talking about how their lives were about to change.

"You are home more often since you do your drafting and designing from your office upstairs," Blaine said, thinking about the logistics of how to do this parenting thing. "So I think if we just stay on the schedule we have now with a few tweaks, and I can arrange things so that I'm home in the evenings when you like to do your work. We can always take turns staying at Puck and Lenore's house when we have to go to Philomath for business. Oh! We can turn our old drafting room into a nursery there."

"Yes, and your office can be the nursery since you never use it anyway," Kurt kidded. Blaine had moved his desk into Kurt's office the second week they had lived in the log house and they used the extra room for storage.

"But where will we store the Christmas ornaments?" Blaine laughed.

"I can hardly wait to design the nursery!" Kurt crowed, ideas flowing into his thoughts making his hand itch for his pencils and drafting board to begin the drawings.

"We need to get to sleep so we can start early in the morning," Blaine said. Kurt gathered him close and they finally fell asleep, tangled together and had the same dream of their new baby.

It was a bright, warm summer day when Blaine drove up to the hospital in Corvallis, Kurt practically bouncing in his seat. They had chosen not to tell anyone yet about the new baby until they were sure, although both had admitted to the other that they were sure the second they saw her photograph.

Blaine was out of the Navigator first, running around to open the door and take Kurt in his arms before they went into the hospital to meet Mrs. Charles and their new baby.

"I can't believe this is happening so fast! She is less than a month old and..." Kurt couldn't think of anything else to say, but his eyes told Blaine everything.

"I know. I know, Babe. Let's take a deep breath and go," Blaine coached, trembling a bit himself. This was the minute that would change their lives forever.

"Mr. Hummel-Anderson, it is so good to see you. And you, too." Mrs. Charles said, holding out her hand to shake first Blaine's and then Kurt's hands. "If you will follow me, I can take you right up to the meeting room," she said, walking briskly up the stairs. Blaine and Kurt followed her, anxiety and apprehension clouds in the air as they walked down the empty corridor of the hospital. Mrs. Charles took a key from her pocket and unlocked the door, waving the men inside.

"Are there rules? Can we touch her?" Kurt asked, seeing Blaine was having trouble even speaking.

"No. Of course you can touch her. I've called for a nurse to bring her, so it will only be a few minutes. Do you have any questions?" Keryn Charles asked.

"Do we get to take her today?" Blaine asked.

"If you are okay with that and provided you have a suitable car seat. We went over all of the paperwork yesterday in my office and you went through all the approval stages before we even paired you with her. Do you have her bed and things ready?" she asked and got two nods.

"You went through the classes including CPR for babies, correct?" she asked. Parents of children with RSV were required to take these classes before taking their babies home. Blaine nodded. "And we've got the oxygen set up at your home," she said, ticking off the list on the paper in front of her. "The visiting nurse is scheduled to come three days a week for the first four weeks to check on her progress with the RSV."

A knock on the door startled them and Mrs. Charles got up to open the door.

A nurse in a pink scrub suit walked in, pushing a clear bassinet. Inside was a tiny baby lying next to an oxygen tank. A long green tube led from the tank to her face and the tubes went over her tiny ears and to her nose. The tubes were taped to her cheeks to keep them in place. She was asleep.

"Who gets her first?" the nurse asked and Kurt waved at Blaine, who was sitting down in the rocking chair provided. The nurse picked up the baby and set her in his arms. Tears came to Kurt's eyes as he saw the love in his husband's face as he moved the blanket back to see her little face better.

"Oh, she is so tiny!" he exclaimed, looking up at Kurt. "I had no idea she would be this small. Awww..."

"Are you sure she's big enough to take home?" Kurt asked.

"Yes. She has gained weight. She was at five pounds at birth, but is 5.6 pounds today. That is big enough to take home," the nurse told them.

"Let's leave the new daddies alone with her for a little while to get to know her," Mrs. Charles said to the nurse. "If either of you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. The call button is on the wall over here," she said, pointing to a red button. "Her bottle is ready and you will find it along with diapers and wipes in the basket under the bassinet. Any questions before we leave?"

"No. I think we'll be fine," Kurt said, putting out his hand to shake with the nurse and Keryn Charles.

"Alone at last," Kurt laughed as he pulled the other rocker so it was right next to Blaine.

"Isn't she perfect?" Blaine murmured. Kurt smiled.

Blaine laid her on his lap, undoing the blanket so they could see all of her. Kurt put out his finger and she grabbed it tightly. Blaine smiled, amazed at how this little tiny thing thrilled him to the core.

"Here, Daddy, I think she wants you to hold her," Blaine said, picking her up carefully and setting her in Kurt's arms.

"Aw, sweetheart, do you want us to be your daddies? I promise we will do everything in our power to be the best daddies in the world to you," Kurt whispered to the little baby.

She woke up, trying to focus her eyes on Kurt's face.

"Oh, Kurt, she likes you! I knew it. She is ours – right?" Blaine asked and Kurt turned his head to place a chaste kiss on his husband's cheek.

"Yes, she is. But right now I think she's hungry. Look in the bassinet and find where they left her bottle, please."

Blaine found it and Kurt rewrapped her to make her more comfortable, smiling when she began drinking the formula with greedy sucking sounds. Her hands waved in the air in her excitement and she quickly drained the bottle.

"Do you want to burp her?" Kurt offered and Blaine held out grabby hands. He took her and gently held her to his shoulder, patting her back. She coughed and seemed to choke for a moment and Kurt pushed the red button to ask the nurse to come. It was just a moment before the woman walked through the door, observing the panicked looks on the new daddies faces.

"Oh, the cough. I'm guessing that's why you called?"

"Is this typical? I know she has RSV, and we read about it. We learned how to use the syringe to suck the mucus from her nose and mouth if she gets congested, but she sounds so pitiful when she coughs. Does it hurt her?" Blaine asked, kissing her temple and continuing to gently pat her back. The baby burped loudly and stopped fussing, but the cough remained.

"She's had it since she was a few days old. It is better and I don't think it hurts – at least she isn't making faces or crying, so I think it is more upsetting to you than it is for her. Just check to be sure her airway isn't blocked," she told the new fathers. "Babies under six months old can't breathe through their mouths, so its important to keep her nose clear. Both nodded to show they understood.

She took the baby, listened with her stethoscope, and picked the little bundle back up.

"She's fine. There are a few rails, but I think she's doing well. We wouldn't send her home if we didn't think she was healthy. Now, you have the visiting nurse coming tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes, at nine. We've met her and she doesn't live very far from the road to our house," Blaine answered. He was suddenly anxious to take their baby home.

"Okay. You're both comfortable with feeding, giving medications, using the oxygen?"

"Yes."

"Good. I know you will make good daddies for this lovely lady. Now, who gets to hold her?" she asked.

"Let Tatay, I got to feed her," Kurt said.

"Tatay?" the nurse asked.

"Its Filipino for 'daddy'. Blaine's mother was from the Philippines and we needed a word that distinguishes between which daddy she was talking to. It just sort of felt right," Kurt said, laying a hand on Blaine's shoulder. The nurse set the baby on Blaine's lap, smiling.

"I'll call Mrs. Charles and tell her you're ready to take your new daughter home. Congratulations, Daddy and Tatay."

They drove home carefully, Blaine behind the wheel for the first half, Kurt in the back beside the car seat. They stopped at a small restaurant for a bite to eat and to feed the baby, then Kurt drove the rest of the way.

Once home, they carried their new daughter inside and up to her room, exchanging the portable oxygen container for the large one in her nursery. Blaine sat in his rocker and Kurt changed the diaper, then placed her in his arms. As much fun as it was to hold her, Kurt thought it was even better to watch Blaine with her. He was so tender when he kissed her tiny head or let her grip his finger.

"I'll just run down to the kitchen and get her bottle ready. Tatay," Kurt grinned. He was loving this so much.

"We'll be right here when you get back," Blaine said, cuddling his daughter closer. His eyes were twinkling as he looked up at Kurt.

When Kurt got back, it was his turn to feed her and Blaine sat close. They were both so happy it was cute.

"Your folks are arriving tomorrow about eleven, right?" Blaine asked.

"Yeppers. Right after the visiting nurse comes. Hey, missy, you be on your best behavior tomorrow for Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Cooper. They don't know about you yet, you're going to be a big surprise," Kurt cooed to his daughter who replied with a burp. Kurt giggled.

That night both new fathers were awake more than they were asleep, each eager to tend to the baby's every need. By the time morning rolled around, Kurt was walking back and forth in the hallway trying to get her to go to sleep. She finally fell asleep while he was rocking her and singing a lullaby a while later. After tucking her into her crib, he crawled back into bed to cuddle Blaine.

"You look tired, Babe. Why don't you go to sleep for a while and I'll listen for her. I think the night was almost worse on her than it was on us, poor little thing," Blaine said, holding his arms out to hold his husband. Kurt scooted across the bed to snuggle his nose into Blaine's neck and Blaine kissed his temple, holding him tightly. Kurt's muscles relaxed and Blaine thought he might have fallen straight asleep – until he felt a warm hand rubbing up his bare leg.

"Oh, so you're not as sleepy as I thought you were," he said in a teasing voice. He heard a subterranean giggle and the hand moved down and then back up slowly. Kurt tilted his head up and kissed Blaine's cheek, then down to his jaw and nibbled at his neck again. He hummed in satisfaction when he felt Blaine's hand move across his belly and slip under the waistband of his flannel pajama pants on their way to caress him.

"Are you sure she won't wake up?" Blaine asked, but Kurt didn't answer. He slid his pajamas off and then pulled Blaine's off as well. Blaine closed his eyes to enjoy Kurt's warm tongue moving down his chest, nibbling at a nipple and then his belly.

"Mmmmmm.." Blaine moaned quietly, afraid to make much of a sound and wake the baby. Encouraged by this, Kurt kept kissing until he reached Blaine's hard cock and took just the crown in – sucking gently and swirling his tongue.

"Oh, Kurt," he whispered, his voice deep and sexy. Kurt pushed deeper and Blaine moaned louder, putting his hand over his mouth to muffle the noise. He reached over to the sliding door in the headboard and took out their lubricant, squeezing out some onto his fingers and reaching down Kurt's back and between his cheeks. Kurt moaned then, very quietly as he shifted position so Blaine cold reach more easily.

"Yes, baby, yes," he murmured as he pulled off and kissed his husband's belly before taking him back into his mouth, this time deeper and with more conviction. He sucked a little harder and pulled in his cheeks to make the friction better.

"Kurt, stop, honey. I need you so much, but I don't want to come too soon," he said and Kurt backed off. He stroked his hands down Blaine's legs and kissed his hipbone, sucking a small love bite into the golden tawny flesh there.

Blaine had worked Kurt up to three fingers, gentle but steady while he tried to be patient and not move too soon. They had been married for five years, but Blaine was still very careful not to go too quickly. He never forgot the fear when he had torn Kurt the first time they made love.

"Now, baby. I need you now," Kurt said, pulling back so Blaine could choose how he wanted him.

"Lay on your back, Kurt. I want to see your beautiful face," Blaine cooed. Kurt laid down and Blaine was on top of him in a moment, caressing his skin. "Oh, Kurt, I do love you so..." he said and pushed himself in. It never failed to amaze him, the heat and the softness of Kurt when he did this. It was a feeling that was exciting and stimulating, so tight even now, six years later. Blaine knew that if he just lay still, listening to Kurt breathe and knowing they were as close as two people could be, he would come from the mere thought of it. Add Kurt's moans to that and it was the best thing in this world. He closed his eyes and just felt Kurt until his hips rebelled and began to sway with the inner rhythm that Blaine was born with.

"Oh, Blaine...so good...mmmmmm," Kurt moaned a little louder, his voice bringing Blaine's climax closer with every sound.

The tactile feelings melted into his nerves and ran through his body, like lava through a volcano and he couldn't stop himself from moaning on the next thrust as Kurt met him and pushed Blaine deeper into him.

"Blaine, harder...I need you, harder, baby..." Kurt said, his mouth supplying words that he hadn't consciously thought of. He moved up to take Blaine's mouth and thrust his tongue deep, knowing it was what Blaine wanted. Then he gathered a bit of the lube on his fingers from his hip where Blaine had smeared it. When Blaine thrust deep into him the next time, Kurt used his long reach to slide his fingers between his husband's cheeks and brush across his entrance. Blaine whined and on the next thrust forward, Kurt pressed his finger inside Blaine.

"Oh, my stars, Kurt...yesyesyes," he chanted, "Kurt, are you ready, baby? Are you ready for me?"

"Blaine...ungh, yes..." Kurt managed to articulate before he lost his voice to loud moaning and he was _there_. Blaine thrust in as hard and deep as he could and Kurt felt the lava in his balls, running all through him and spurting into Blaine with a passion that his husband felt and the two of them were riding high for what seemed like forever.

Neither man moved when it was done, they just lay together and listened to the other as the high cooled down and they stayed together, not falling asleep but close to it. After a while they knew it was time to get up. They could hear their new daughter fussing a little in what they had come to learn was the precursor to her wails to be fed.

"I think we have time for a really quick shower, my love," Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand and leading him to the bathroom. Kurt grabbed the monitor on the way in case she decided to make her wishes known a bit sooner.

It was later that morning when the visiting nurse had come and gone and Kurt was lying on the sofa downstairs with his head in Blaine's lap that they heard the door open.

"Hey, Buddy, stay up too late last night?" Burt's voice fell on Kurt's sleeping ears and Blaine signaled with a finger to his lips for Burt to let him sleep.

"Please, sit down. How are you, Carole?" Blaine said in a quiet voice.

"Oh, I'm fine. It was a lovely drive. Can I help get anything ready?" she asked, wanting to help and seeing Kurt wasn't going to wake up.

"No, I have iced tea and sandwiches on the table in the dining room if you would like some refreshments?" Blaine asked just as his brother walked in the front door, August Waverly with him.

"Hey, Squirt, what's the big news?" Cooper got right to the point. "Oh, must be big news – did you drive all the way from Washington this morning, Burt? Carole, good to see you," Coop said, looking at his little brother for clues.

"I don't know yet," Burt said. "We drove to Philomath yesterday and spent the night with Puck and Lenore. We drove up here today. Well, Blaine? I'm pretty sure this is more than just Kurt missing my lovely face, right?" Burt crossed his arms on his chest and Blaine with his glare.

"Yes it is. Let me just wake Kurt up and we can tell you together," Blaine said. He rubbed Kurt's back for a few moments and whispered in his ear that everyone was assembled.

Kurt sat up and covered a yawn, smiling at his father and Carole.

"Oh, you're here. Ah, just a moment. I need to go get something upstairs," Kurt said and went up the stairs two at a time. Blaine asked everyone to sit and they did. No conversation started as they looked at Blaine or at the staircase where Kurt had disappeared. Cooper and August sat on chairs by the fireplace, Burt and Carole on the second sofa.

Kurt came back down, holding a bundle in his arms and walking over to Burt.

"I think you just might remember what to do with one of these," he said in a teasing tone as his eyes twinkled and Blaine stifled a giggle. He placed the bundle in his father's lap, waiting to make sure Burt was holding it securely before letting his hands go. He flipped the blanket back, revealing the tiny sleeping baby.

Burt stared at the baby, a smile growing as he looked at Kurt's face and saw the pride in it.

"Is this...is this my grandchild?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes, Dad. She is," Kurt said, his own voice shaky, too, as Blaine brushed a tear from his cheek.

"But how? When?" Cooper said, looking from Kurt to Blaine.

"Let's start with an introduction. You said 'she'? Its a girl?" Carole asked, leaning closer to Burt on the sofa to see the baby.

"We have named her Lisa Michelle. She was born last month to a young girl and since we asked to be allowed to help a baby in need, the agency called us last week and said she was available," Blaine explained.

"We had gone through the whole process of classes and passing a very rigorous background check already. When Lisa Michelle was born with RSV, most of the candidates for parents weren't interested. Plus, she is of mixed race and that makes her harder to place," Kurt said. It was obvious what he thought of people who let things like that dictate if the baby was acceptable to them.

"She's wearing oxygen I see," Carole noticed. "Is she still being affected by the RSV?"

"Yes, but she's getting better. She still has a deep cough and wheezes if she cries too long. The altitude makes the extra oxygen necessary, but she is doing fine. We have a visiting nurse that comes three times a week for the first few weeks. She was here this morning and Lisa is doing so well – better than the doctors expected with everything that has gone on in her short little life," Kurt said with pride.

Lisa chose now to make her wishes known and scrunched her tiny face up, ready to cry. Burt set her against his chest and after putting the blanket around her, he patted her little diaper-covered bottom until she was lulled back to sleep.

"Wow, Dad, you might think you'd done that before," Kurt laughed. Burt cuddled the tiny baby close and smiled back at Kurt.

"Son, I'm so proud of you and Blaine. This was such a selfless thing to do, and I know the two of you have so much love to give. This little one is one lucky gal," Burt said.

"You..a daddy?" Cooper said, a teasing note in his voice, but he continued in a more serious tone. "I think its great, Squirt. You know there is a camp full of 'uncles' out there to help when you need it. I will support you guys in any way I can, you know that, right?" Cooper said. Blaine nodded and gave his big brother a sweet smile.

"What do you mean 'mixed race'?" August asked, looking at the beautiful little girl.

"Her mama is of Irish descent and her father was Asian-American according to her file. Kurt and I didn't meet the parents, they didn't want to actually meet us, but they chose us to be her fathers," Blaine explained.

Kurt smiled. Blaine was of mixed ancestry: Irish, Filipino, Chinese, Spanish, and Malay. Lisa might grow up to look a lot like him, except for the curly hair. Hers was closer to his color and thick with red tones in it. He knew she was going to be beautiful.

"Its just about time to feed her. I'll go make a bottle and be right back," Kurt said, getting to his feet tiredly. Carole got up to go with him and perhaps help.

"Come get your daughter, Blaine. If you are new to each other, you need to bond with her before the uncles and grandparents take over," Burt said, lifting the baby into Blaine's arms.

Blaine walked over to the rocker and sat down, "Hey, Lisa Michelle, Tatay is going to feed you. Are you hungry, little one?" he cooed at her. She opened her eyes and Blaine smiled.

"Tatay?" Cooper said. "Isn't that Fillipino for 'daddy'? I remember mom used to say that when she talked about dad," he said, looking at his brother.

"I remember you called him that when we were very little. Well, when I was very little anyway. We didn't want her to get confused calling us both 'daddy'."

"I like the sound of it," Burt said.

Kurt was back with the bottle and Blaine rocked her gently as they all smiled and chatted and talked about the future.

Burt, Carole, August and Cooper stayed for a few hours, each getting to hold her for a little while. When she got fussy, Kurt cuddled her in her blanket and she went right to sleep. Blaine took her from Kurt's arms and took her upstairs to bed. Goodbyes were said all around and a few phone calls were made. Finn and Rachel were over-the-moon for their brother and Blaine. They talked about coming to visit soon. Puck and Lenore were happy, too, and made plans to drive up in the next week. Brayden Warner, the owner of the lumber company, insisted upon giving Blaine two months off with pay to bond with little Lisa.

By the time the visits were over, Kurt was about dead on his feet. Blaine helped Kurt up the stairs to bed.

"That went well," Blaine said, "I thought Burt might get his nose out of joint because we didn't tell him ahead of time why we wanted them here," Blaine speculated.

"I think he's happy. So are Carole and Cooper, even August was happy about it. But, Blaine, I know who is the happiest of all," Kurt said.

"We are," he answered, coming close to share the warmth of Kurt's body. Even though it was summer, the nights on the mountain were chilly.

Just as they were shutting their eyes, lips touching, a tiny cry was heard from the nursery. They looked at each other for a moment.

"I'll go get her, its my turn," Blaine said, getting out of bed and walking down the stairs to make a bottle. He was back before she was crying very much and brought her into their bedroom.

"Do you want me to feed or change her diaper after?" Blaine asked.

"Let's go out on the balcony with her and cuddle together in the hammock," Kurt suggested. They had placed their hammock out there when they first moved to the log house in the Oregon woods. They spent a lot of time in the summer lying together there, listening to the birds and the wind in the trees. The view was spectacular through the trees and down the side of the mountain.

Blaine held Lisa Michelle as Kurt got in, then handed her back and spread the thick quilt over them. He crawled in, snuggling close to keep the baby warm. She drained the bottle and burped, then they cradled her between them.

"Hi, Lisa Michelle. We are on the balcony and we are both keeping you warm tonight. We want you to grow up to love your family, so I think I need to tell you how your Tatay and I fell in love. It was six years ago and my first day on this mountain, I looked up and saw an angel with black silky curls. That angel was your Tatay.

"As a family, we're going to do a lot of things together. Ride mules, go camping, make rabbit pie and cinnamon rolls," Blaine told their daughter.

"Tatay taught me to tie flies and how to catch fish – I caught the biggest fish in the river once. I can teach you to do that, my little one," Kurt said, "but I think the very first thing we need to do together as a family is to stargaze. Your Tatay and I fell in love in the meadow just over there. The first constellation you need to learn is Orion."

"That's his belt, those three stars, darling. Just like on Daddy's necklace..."

**Merry Christmas Everyone!**


End file.
